Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 85, 24^th September 2001

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE

This week's likely highlights are:

• Finance – amongst a number of issues, Finance considers an updated report on Voluntary Sector Funding. Members also look at the Finance Minister's response to their Stage 1 Report of the 2002-03 Budget Process and consider the structure of their PPP Inquiry.
• Education – takes evidence on its Scottish Ballet Inquiry and will discuss a remit and work programme for the Sport in Schools Inquiry.
• Justice 1 – discusses the Order that determines payments made to Legal Aid solicitors and considers written evidence on its Regulation of the Legal Profession Inquiry.
• European – will consider a draft report on the Euro and the preparations which have been made in Scotland.
• Local Government – takes evidence on its Local Government Finance Inquiry.
• Justice 2 – continues with the Sexual Offences (Procedures & Evidence) Bill.
• Transport – returns to the issue of Highlands & Islands ferries.

More detail will follow in tomorrow's Committee News.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

CENTRAL HEATING SCHEME EXTENDED
The Scottish Executive is to accelerate its free central heating scheme and extend it to provide more people with whole-house heating systems.

Social Justice Minister, Jackie Baillie, said:

"I am delighted that we are able to bring forward the completion date of the scheme. This will mean that all local authority tenants eligible for the scheme will receive central heating by April 2004 and all tenants of Housing Associations will receive it during 2004.

"As a result of this, we will be able in years four and five of the scheme to upgrade local authority houses with only partial central heating to whole-house heating systems. In taking forward this work, I will ask local authorities to give priority to elderly and disabled households.

"Based on current projections, I expect that an additional 20,000 households will benefit. If additional resources become available later in the programme, then we will consider which other vulnerable groups should benefit from the scheme.

"The main benefits of the programme will be warmer houses, lower fuel bills, fewer damp houses and a reduced threat to health from exposure to cold and damp."

The Scottish Executive’s Central Heating Programme provides central heating, insulation and advice. It is available to all households in local authority and housing association stock who currently lack central heating. It is also available to all households in the private sector who lack central heating and where the householder or spouse is aged 60 or over.

From 2004, the scope of the programme will be widened to cover local authority houses with partial central heating. Local authorities will receive resources to upgrade them by providing whole-house systems.

The programme is administered by local authorities and housing associations for their own stock and by Eaga Partnership Ltd. for the private sector: home owners and private renters.

Work has already begun in local authority and housing association stock and last week Eaga sent application forms to over 5,500 households who have registered an interest in the Programme. Works will begin in the private sector as soon as possible after the application forms are returned.

Full Story

FREE PERSONAL CARE WITHIN SEVEN MONTHS
The Executive is to press ahead with its commitment to free personal and nursing care for the elderly, starting from 1^st April next year.

Ministers agreed to implement the proposals reported earlier this month by the Care Development Group, which was set up in February.

The £125 million package includes:

• the removal of all charges for personal care in the community;
• for those in a care home who are currently self-funding, a flat rate payment of £90 a week for personal care and for those needing nursing care an additional £65 a week. These sums reflect the current average costs for those in similar circumstances whose costs are currently paid for from the public purse; and
• additional funding for local authorities to continue to offer more care in people’s own homes by improving the standard and availability of the wide range of services that can maintain older people's independence and enable them to stay home longer;

In line with the recommendations of the Care Development Group, the Executive will:

• establish an implementation support group to take forward the Group’s recommendations;
• adopt a definition of personal care which endorses that recommended by the Royal Commission and includes psychological support and counselling; and
• back the Group’s endorsement of the Royal Commission's recommendation that people should continue to pay their own living and accommodation costs where they can afford to do so.

First Minister Henry McLeish said:

"Today we are honouring our commitment to the older people of Scotland with the announcement that there will be full implementation of free personal care, meeting the recommendations of the Care Development Group in full.

"By putting on the table the additional £125 million each year needed to implement a policy of free nursing and personal care we have underlined our commitment to putting older people at the very top of the Executive’s priorities.

"By bringing forward legislation, we will provide the statutory means to start implementing free nursing and personal care from 1^st April 2002.

"In implementing free personal care, we are building on the foundations of our earlier response to the Royal Commission, and in this package, moving beyond the Commission’s recommendations. We are also investing in building up improved care services in order to allow more people to stay at home – which is where they want to be."

The Community Care and Health Bill will be published tomorrow.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY begins with an Executive debate on Support for the Voluntary Sector.

At the time of writing, the motion has not yet been published. It is therefore unclear what aspect of Voluntary Sector Support will be discussed. However, in terms of funding, the Executive's announcement on 4^th September 2001 that £39 million is being handed out to voluntary groups and charities across the country may be raised. Click here for further information.

When published, the motion will be available in the Business Bulletin.

Member's Business comes from Labour's Irene Oldfather and is on the subject of the European Languages Day.

THURSAY is another opposition day, with the morning taken up with 2 debates from the SNP on Membership of the Scottish Parliament and The Executive’s Stewardship of Public Finances.

As neither motion has been published, the issues to be raised are unconfirmed. However, it can be surmised that the debate on Membership of the Scottish Parliament will focus on whether, once future boundary changes to reduce the number of Scottish MPs at Westminster have taken place, the number of Members of the Scottish Parliament will reduce similarly.

It is likely that the debate on The Executive’s Stewardship of Public Finances will focus on last week's announcement that departmental underspends are to be allocated to front line services.

When published, the motions will be available in the Business Bulletin.

After Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, the Chamber will debate Stage 1 of the Police and Fire Services (Finance) (Scotland) Bill.

This simple bill will allow police boards to carry forward working balances at the end of a financial year. It has been brought forward in response to issues raised by the Accounts Commission and the Inspectorate of Constabulary and aims to allow better financial planning of police services. In addition, the Executive is taking the opportunity to clarify practice in relation to fire services.

Scotland’s eight Police Boards are responsible for setting the budgets for Scotland’s eight police forces. They have two sources of income:

• Police Grant paid by the Scottish Executive;
• Additional monies paid by constituent local authorities.

Under the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 grants are payable for actual expenditure, not budgeted expenditure. What happens in practice is that the budgeted amount is paid over, and if there is any surplus left at the end of the financial year it is returned to the Executive and local authorities.

Both the Accounts Commission and the Inspectorate of Constabulary have suggested that better financial management could be fostered if working balances could be carried forward. There is no intention of huge reserves being built up, but it is foolish to have a situation where money may be spent unnecessarily at the end of a financial year, for fear that the following year’s budget will otherwise be reduced.

In some ways, this debate links to End Year Flexibility and the steps which have been taken to allow three-year budgeting.

The Bill will allow working balances (the difference between actual and predicted expenditure) to be carried forward between financial years. This will be done by amending the Police Scotland Act 1967 and has two caveats:

• There will be a limit of 3% of Police Grant and local contributions respectively. This figure was suggested by the auditors, and was discussed in stage 1 evidence. (See Committee News 41)
• The permission of Scottish Ministers will be required. In stage 1 evidence, it was acknowledged that local authorities will also have this right in respect of their contributions. Where several authorities constitute a joint board, they will need to ensure they are of one mind.

There are equivalent provisions in respect of fire services. This is because, although it is believed that the Fire Services Act 1947 does not prevent the carrying forward of balances by fire authorities, there is no clarity on the issue. Also unclear is how much money is currently returned to local authorities each year. (There is no direct Executive funding for fire.) This bill takes the opportunity to clarify matters by putting arrangements for fire on the same basis as the new arrangements for police.

The day concludes with a Member's Business on RCN Scotland's "Value Nurses" Campaign from the Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith.

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